Unfinished business made Timothy anxious. I’d been unfinished business for the past thousand years, and I knew it grated on the both of them. But this was about me.
“Believe me,” I said, baring my teeth, “no one is more disappointed than me.”
Grim’s expression pulled into his usual scowl. “It didn’t work.”
I grabbed a bar up high. “Oh, it worked, just not how I imagined it would. Send the girl to me again. It turns out she and I might be stuck with each other for a while.”
Grim and Timothy exchanged a wary look. When I explained it, I was certain they wouldn’t deny me. The god of the dead wouldn’t dream of denying someone death.
As I slumped against the cold, merciless bars, a chaotic symphony of thoughts and emotions raged within me. Among the discord, a single melody echoed above the rest - the dark angel, her cat-like eyes burrowing deep into my fractured soul.
She was like an alluring siren's song, and I the dangerous predator lurking in the depths, eager to disrupt her rigid composure.
Her warm, brown skin had a radiant glow that made me ache to touch it. Her hair, woven into intricate braids, flowed down her back like a waterfall of onyx silk ropes.
Miranda’s cat-shaped eyes held a fierce determination, warning me not to cross her. They beckoned me, a captivating lure in the dark, tempting me to coax out the fire beneath her icy, no-nonsense demeanor.
She was a warrior at heart. I’d heard there were few warriors left in the world, but she’d been born one. My little badass. Beneath that tough exterior, there was a flicker of vulnerability that only made me more intrigued.
The thought of her provoked a visceral response: a thrilling shiver that rippled down my spine, causing my skin to prickle and my muscles to tense in anticipation. Miranda possessed a magnetic attraction that I couldn’t deny. Despite the fact that she had come closer to killing me than anyone else, the idea of being tied to her, even in a dance to the death, was both terrifying and exhilarating.
A sly smile slithered across my lips, the first genuine show of amusement I'd felt in an eternity. I had two things to look forward to: the inevitability of my death and another chance to meet the beautiful woman who would be the author of my demise.
ChapterFive
THE BADASS
Six AM the next morning, I sat at a table by Perkatory, the hotel's café, my hands wrapped around an oversized to-go cup of coffee. I tried to shake off the chill that had settled into my bones, but even the piping hot, bitter liquid flowing down my throat failed to warm me up.
I used to work at Castlegate, a neighboring hotel, where garish colors and boisterous families were the norm. Sinopolis, on the other hand, offered a stark contrast. Here, the onyx marble floors shimmered like a moonlit abyss, while gold accents punctuated the surrounding walls and ceilings like gilded poetry. Amidst this luxurious setting, Grim had created a sanctuary, with lush green plants surrounding soothing indoor waterfalls.
The lobby of Sinopolis resonated with echoes of an ancient Egyptian oasis, reminding me of the grandeur and power of the god I had recently slain. It felt as if the hotel itself reflected his immense power and storied past. How long had he been confined in that cage? Did he yearn for the black sands of his true home?
Perkatory was nestled amidst large, exotic plants, offering a semi-private space within the lobby. It allowed me to be aware of the hotel's activities while finding a much-needed moment of peace and solitude.
But today, I found it difficult to access the serenity I usually found in my morning routine. As I sipped my drink, there was a nagging whisper telling me I had just crossed a dangerous line into the world of the gods, where power and danger were intertwined.
I knew that treading carefully was the key to surviving in this new world, but I couldn’t help but feel drawn deeper into it.
Xander’s words echoed in my mind, the desperation in his voice as he begged me to end his existence. I knew I had no other choice, but that didn’t make it any easier. It wasn’t every day that someone asked me to kill them. I hoped it never happened again.
Though admittedly, I felt as though I’d performed an important duty. My job as head of security at Sinopolis gave me purpose, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. With Jamal’s absence, it was harder to deny I was lacking a certain satisfaction in my life.
My eyes closed for a moment. Xander’s face haunted my dreams, and still remained behind my eyelids every time I blinked. The sharpness of his porcelain features, the way he looked at me through the wild hair half covering his eyes, like he was a predator studying me. And there was the way he held himself with an air of confidence and power – it all drew me to him in a way I hadn’t expected.
I pushed those thoughts away and opened my eyes, bringing myself back to reality.
A sudden heat wave coursed through me, causing my forest green suit jacket to become suffocating. I rolled up the sleeves, but it didn’t help. I wouldn’t clip on my nametag until I officially started work for the day, which wasn’t for another thirty minutes. I took a deep breath and downed some more coffee, hoping to find some clarity in the chaos that had become my life.
“Morning, Viv,” I said, taking another sip.
A petulant groan came from behind me. The auburn-haired vampire wearing blood red lipstick and a tight leather dress dropped into the chair across from me. Vivien put the vamp in vampire. “How do you always know?” she complained.
My lips curved around my coffee cup. I’ll never tell.
“Looks like you’ve got a long way to go before you graduate from ninja school,” I said in a lofty tone.
Vivien glowered at my taunt. “Yeah, well, you better watch out for my ninja stars.” She made whooshing sounds while miming throwing some at my head.
